Ray Vanderby was born in Sittard Holland in 1953 and after migrating to
Australia in 1959 with his family, began playing performances on the
Hammond organ in Orange NSW in 1965 at age 12, as the youngest
semi-professional organist in Australia. He held a 4 year residency at
the Hotel Canobolas and became a qualified piano tuner/technician with
W.H. Palings & Co. while studying Jimmy Smith, André Previn and Mike
Nock records. He also took up classical Bach, Grieg, Debussy studies
with Gordon Smee in Orange.

At age 20 Ray moved to Sydney and became in house session keyboard
sideman for EMI 301 Studios Sydney working with Richard Lush and G.
Wayne Thomas. He tuned a piano for George Young from the Easybeats who
got him a tour with Stevie Wright which led to tours and recordings with
Marcia Hines, John English, Blackfeather, Doug Parkinson and Shona
Laing, supporting Joe Cocker, Osibisa and Boomtown Rats.

In 1991 he won first prize in the W.R.O.C./BMG Australia wide
songwriting competition out of 2,500 entries nationally and performed at
the Cronulla, Newcastle Jazz Festivals as well as the Thredbo, Goulburn
and Bluestone Blues Festivals. Ray has previously released original
recordings in various progressive and blues genres and "Orange Not Blue" (to be released soon)
is his first jazz album, consisting entirely of Ray's original
compositions.